Afternoon Nap
by Shin Sankai
Summary: Though humidity is in the air and Aoshi's thoughts aren't coming through properly, perhaps a break on the back porch with Misao and a hammock might change all that.


**Afternoon Nap**

**By Shin Sankai**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX **

Aoshi paced the floorboards within his private office, murmuring to himself. He was dressed in his _onmitsu_ outfit, but his _gi_ was off, leaving toned skin bare for all to see, not that anyone could see. While he walked the length of the office, Aoshi's hands rested comfortably behind his back and yet his shoulders were slightly tense. A thought had been plaguing his mind for a few months now and yet he hadn't a clue how to place it into words.

The air was thick with humidity, hence Aoshi not wearing his upper clothing. He stopped his pacing only to reach for the shoji to pull it open. Remaining in the stuffy quarters would do his lack of thinking no good. He would need some fresh air…and the back porch would do just the trick. It was about a month ago that he'd gone into the markets with a very excited Misao. She had rambled all week about a European shop moving into Kyoto and while he looked over some foreign books Misao had spent all her money on what he now knew as…a hammock.

It was now hooked up, Misao spending the entire day trying to make out the foreign language as she pounded away at the porch posts and finally the hammock was positioned between two of the thick posts and swung silently in the breeze.

As Aoshi made his way down the stairs, the quietness of the Aoi-ya was a little strange. Usually it would be bustling with people by now and yet there was not a soul in sight, not even those that lived here.

A slight hum down the hallway and out the slightly ajar back shoji had Aoshi walking towards it. He slid it open just as he watched a rush of beige creep by. He had to blink several times before he noticed Misao was rushing backwards and forwards cleaning the entire back porch. A damp cloth was between her clenched hands as she pushed it along the wood. She was dressed in a dirt smudged beige _yukata_, the sleeves bunched around her arms having been tied back and the lower half happened to be tucked in her underwear.

"Misao, what…are you doing?" Aoshi couldn't help but mutter and watched as she stopped in her furious work, she still crouched, back to him and glanced over her shoulder.

"Ah, Aoshi-sama!" She greeted the 30 year old happily. "I'm cleaning silly." She answered him and went back to finishing that section of the porch. When she did, Misao rose to her feet and stretched, arms lifting above her head. Her face was flushed from the exertion of her efforts, her hair pinned atop her head and short wisps spiked out in a very adorable fashion.

"You…are cleaning?" Aoshi watched Misao fain hurt as she pouted up at him before placing the cloth back into her basin of water.

"Well I thought what better chance then now when the Aoi-ya is closed for a couple of days and everyone is away."

"Everyone is away?" Aoshi repeated and observed Misao lean against the railing, her _yukata_ still showing off much more skin then it should be.

"Aoshi-sama where have you been? Okina told you personally that he was going away for the weekend and relayed everyone else's plans as well."

"I see…" Aoshi padded silently towards the stairs that led to the garden and looked out into the forest at the back of them.

"Are you okay Aoshi-sama, you seem…different." Misao wasn't sure what she meant by 'different', but over the past few months there was something in Aoshi's posture, in the way that he'd wander off into his own mind that just wasn't usually there.

Aoshi turned to gaze over at Misao, noticing the way her head was tilted, she chewing on her lower lip as she openly looked upon him. Though her cheeks were still slightly red, it wasn't even for the fact that he was standing before her in only his _onmitsu_ pants.

Did she…not think he was attractive anymore?

"Um, Aoshi-sama?" He snapped away from that thought as Misao was now standing before him, her blue eyes frowning, worrying for him while she placed her hand against his bare shoulder, near the start of Himura's scar. "I may not be able to help, but you know I'm always here if you need to vent to someone okay?" The slight quirk of his lips instantly made her feel a little easier. And her heart made a happy thump when Aoshi's larger hand lifted up to cover hers.

"You always do worry for me don't you Misao?" This time, she did blush a little at his forward question.

"Ah, well, that's because I…" She died off there and Aoshi didn't press the matter. Instead he let go, felt Misao's hand slide away from his warm skin and turned his gaze to look over at the unoccupied hammock.

"Did you ever figure out how much weight it can take?" Misao's eyes followed Aoshi's to discover what he was talking about and then scratched absently at the side of her head.

"Mm, not really, but I'm sure the strength of the posts would help it in withstanding a lot of body weight."

"So, it would house us perfectly then?"

"Well yeah sure…eh, what did you say?" Misao's eyes were wide as she stared up at Aoshi, her mouth agape and yet slightly annoyed that not a hint of emotion was registering on his face even after he unsuspectingly voiced that to her.

"You are due for a break from cleaning are you not?"

"Well…I guess…"

"Will you join me then?"

"Um…" Misao's eyes glanced down at Aoshi's open gloved hand before lifting to look into his semi hidden green eyes. "_Hai_…"

Aoshi parted the material of the hammock and careful got into it. It rocked under his weight and he placed one leg on the porch to stop it. This was the first time he'd been in a hammock before and instantly his hand went out to the waiting Misao. He helped her in, not being able to help a small smile break on his lips as Misao parked her perky bottom between his spread masculine thighs. Any young woman would blush, being this close to a man and that's exactly what Misao did. She instantly griped the sides of the hammock when it rocked once more, Aoshi moving to get comfortable. Her heart literally thumped in her ears when his strong hands grabbed hold of her shoulders and pulled her back towards his firm chest.

As they swayed from side to side, Misao went limp within Aoshi's embrace, one of his arms having moved around her shoulders to securely hold her close, either for protection so she wouldn't roll out or for…something else.

"I guess it can hold us." Misao muttered and turned her face into Aoshi's arm, taking in the smell of his skin, the muskiness, and the saltiness thanks to the warmth in the air. Though the humidity had been killing her while she ran up and down the porch, Misao all but turned to mushy jelly when in the presence of Aoshi and completely forgot about the heat in the air. It seemed he too didn't care for it now either.

"We…" Misao murmured as her eyes dropped closed, the comfortable sensual feeling of Aoshi being around her, behind her was sending her into a light afternoon nap. "…haven't hugged like this in a long time Aoshi-sama."

"Aa…" As Aoshi stared out to the side of the porch, glancing at Okina's blooming garden under the heat of the afternoon sunshine, his lips curved once more when the thought that had been previously plaguing him spewed forth from his lips.

"I'd like it…if we could do this more often Misao. And not in a casual way either." The silence was deafening and Aoshi shifted slightly to look down at Misao to see a smile on her pink lips while she dozed within his grip. Aoshi let out a soft sigh and bent down, placing his lips at the top of Misao's head, taking in the scent of her blue-black hair.

"I promise to ask you when you're awake next time." Aoshi voiced before he placed his lips against her temple and then awkwardly bent down so he could brush them against her ear. There he let out a small whisper of confession, shifted to get comfortable once more and closed his own eyes.

Blue eyes peeled open, glassy with one distinctive emotion as Misao craned her head to look back up at Aoshi. His features were slack, boyish even as he napped.

"Daisuki desu, Aoshi-sama…" And with that Misao finally joined Aoshi.

Xx The End xX

Author's Notes: Mwahahaha, a very short and silly little fluffed up oneshot. It could practically be my December Challenge at the SLML really…


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